Official Yes Top 50 Countdown Thread! - THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

[HOF]

Going for the One - 39. I think this is only up this high because it has a chorus that stuck in my head. Having listened to this album again since ranking, it's easily the worst thing on the album but I did not rank it accordingly. My bad!

Turn of the Century - 40. And this is one that I should have ranked higher. It is such a quiet song without a readily identifiable melody, so that made it hard for me to even remember what it was when I was ranking it. But having revisited, the guitar work here is really lovely, and when I really sat and listened it opened itself up to me a bit. It is still a bit meandering, but it's a beautiful song regardless.

The Revealing Science of God - DNR. However, I think this is probably the track I enjoyed the most off Tales? Hard to say really.

[Stadler]

122 - Onward
119 - Sound Chaser
96 - Homeworld (The Ladder)
88 - Mood For A Day
86 - Leave It
81 - Mind Drive
72 - City Of Love
68 - The Remembering (High The Memory)
65 - The Fish
63 - The Ancients (Giants Under The Sun)
57 - I Am Waiting
56 - To Be Over
51 - Ritual



50 - Fly From Here
49 - Long Distance Runaround
48 - Parallels
47 - Changes
46 - Lock
45 - No chance in hell
44 - Slim chance
43 - Does It Really Happen?
42 - No chance in hell
41 - No chance in hell (though, oddly, may be referenced by technicality)
40 - No chance in hell
39 - Hold On
38 - No chance in hell
37 - I've Seen All Good People
36 - Cinema
35 - No chance in hell
34 - Slim chance
33 - Perpetual Change
32 - Slim chance
31 - Endless Dream
30 - Into The Lens
29 - No chance in hell
28 - It Can Happen
27 - Future Times/Rejoice
26 - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
25 - Release, Release
24 - No chance in hell
23 - No chance in hell
22 - Lock
21 - The Calling
20 - Hearts
19 - No chance in hell
18 - On The Silent Wings Of Freedom
17 - The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn) Would have said "lock", but starting to have doubt...
16 - Lock
15 - Love Will Find A Way
14 - Lock
13 - Final Eyes
12 - Lift Me Up
11 - Slim chance at this point
10 - Wonderous Stories
9 - Tempus Fugit
8 - Lock
7 - Lock
6 - Lock
5 - Lock
4 - Going For The OneHmmm... not sure; I'm thinking "no"
3 - Lock
2 - Lock
1- Turn Of The Century Lock

Yeah, it it my day, innit?

The Revealing Science of God is my favorite song off of Tales; I love it.  I love the intro, I love the melody and I love that this is the one song that the band really seems to gel on on that record.

Going For The One - I get it, tastes, but the criticisms just don't resonate with me.   Okay, there's slide guitar... but the rest of the song is quintessential Yes, and I just love the swirling nature of the end of that song.  I believe it's a bookend of sorts for Awaken, that ends in a similar way, with the connotation of "up" and "rising".  I just love that positivity.

Turn Of The Century - My favorite song off my favorite record.  I sent this as an example of "beauty" in a roulette earlier this year and I stand by it. What a composition; I just love how the story is told in lyrics... and how effortlessly the music tells the same story.

[pg1067]

13. Turn of the Century (5). One of Yes' most beautiful works. I also like the fact that Alan White had a big hand in writing this song, while there's no real drum part to speak of. As a drummer, I think that is really cool!

From what I read, he came up with a lot of the chord progressions on the piano and also wrote the vocal melody.

[Orbert]

Turn of the Century is amazing.  When I first heard it, I was in high school and had no idea about Faust or Pygmalion or any of the other literary works that people say "Oh, so it's like..."  For me, the story was brilliant and truly touching.  It still brings tears to my eyes when I listen to it.  The music tells the story as much as the lyrics, which was the intention.  During the break, you can hear the music and magic building, and then the moment of transformation.  Howe's guitar goes from plaintive and sad, to tentative, to absolutely jubilant.  What a great song.

[DTwwbwMP]

50. Future Times / Rejoice (#17)
49. Cinema (N/R)
48. City of Love (#52)
47. Mood For a Day (N/R)
46. Lift Me Up (#14)
45. Homeworld (N/R)
44. I Am Waiting (#51)
43. Leave It (#41)
42. The Ancient (N/R)
41. Does It Really Happen (#55)
40. Final Eyes (#40)
39. The Fish (#54)
38. Love Will Find A Way (#53)
36. It Can Happen (#34)
36. Release, Release (#15)
35. Fly From Here (N/R)
34. The Calling (#20)
33. Hearts (N/R)
32. Hold On (#16)
31. Mind Drive (#21)
30. On The Silent Wings of Freedom (N/R)
29. Into The Lens (N/R)
28. Onward (#13)
27. Ritual (N/R)
26. Endless Dream (#38)
25. The Remembering (N/R)
24. Changes (#28)
23. Perpetual Change (BIG F'up here. Somehow I left off list   Would've been #20 for me)
22. Owner of a Lonely Heart (N/R HATE THIS SONG!)
21. Parallels (#6)
20. Wonderous Stories (#1 )
19. Long Distance Runaround (#8)
18. To Be Over (#35)
17. Tempus Fugit (N/R)
16. Sound Chaser (N/R)
15. I've Seen All Good People (#10)
14. Going for the One (#9)
13. Turn of the Century (#23)
12. The Revealing Science of God (N/R)

[KevShmev]

I didn't participate, but have been reading this with a bit of curiosity.  With all respect to those who like them, it makes me a little sad to see what I consider bottom feeders from the 70s (On the Silent Wings of Freedom, Going for the One - I could go 100 songs deep with a Yes list and not list either of those) finishing higher than fantastic 80s and 90s songs like Hearts, It Can Happen, The Calling and Leave It, but oh well.  I do like seeing The Revealing Science of God finish so high. While the rest of Tales is still somewhat of a mixed bag for me (some amazing moments amongst the mess), that song has aged for me as being one of their very best.  Good to see Turn of the Century get a high finish as well. That has always stood out to me as being the best song by a wide distance from GftO.

[HOF]

I can’t understand not liking On The Silent Wings of Freedom. It’s got such a great groove and unlike many 70s Yes songs is just an effortless, pleasant listen. At the least it feels like it should be uncontroversial. On an album that is oddly controversial, that’s the one song that feels like it should have pleased most Yes fans.

[Animal]

I'd say Stadler's Day reveals were mostly hit, only a bit of miss.

Going for the One - 25  Let's start with a miss - though only in relative terms. I certainly didn't think this song would rank so high here, tough I too ranked it a lot higher than I should have (I didn't use the ranker this time and although I was happy with my list initially, I have been realizing it would have been quite different had I gone through comparisons). It is a good song, but my least favorite on the album, a league or two bellow the likes of...

Turn of The Century - 4 Now we are talking a hit. Possibly my favorite guitar/vocals/keys interplay ever. I like to use the acoustic guitar intro the way many other guitar players use Stairway to Heaven - whenever I pick up a guitar to test how it sounds, I play that intro. It is equally beautiful but a lot less overplayed than Stairway, so music store staff usually appreciate this choice:)

Revealing Science of God - 5   Another stonecold classic. Easily the best on Tales and, IMO, up there with the best Yes sidelong epics (the big three that are to be revealed). Mesmerizing right off the bat - after the madness that is the begining of Close to the Edge, Yes showed they could find yet another creative and unique way to start an epic.

[Animal]

I didn't participate, but have been reading this with a bit of curiosity.  With all respect to those who like them, it makes me a little sad to see what I consider bottom feeders from the 70s (On the Silent Wings of Freedom, Going for the One - I could go 100 songs deep with a Yes list and not list either of those) finishing higher than fantastic 80s and 90s songs like Hearts, It Can Happen, The Calling and Leave It, but oh well.  I do like seeing The Revealing Science of God finish so high. While the rest of Tales is still somewhat of a mixed bag for me (some amazing moments amongst the mess), that song has aged for me as being one of their very best.  Good to see Turn of the Century get a high finish as well. That has always stood out to me as being the best song by a wide distance from GftO.

I like Talk and 90125 but I do understand why the song would rank lower than many of the less stellar of their 70's output. Someone at this forum said something like "I like metal and DT do metal well, but I don't go to DT to listen to metal.." I think it applies here too.  A lot of people recognize 80's and 90's Yes as great pop-rock songs, only this is not what they want from Yes. I tend to consider this era more as Trevor Rabin with guest musicians who just happen to be Yes members. Are the songs good? Sure. Do they have anything in common with what carved the Yes brand their place in music history? Very little. 70's Yes was what was unique, what made the lasting legacy, the reason why people keep talking about Yes even 50 years later. So it is only natural that even slightly inferior stuff from that era gets ranked pretty high.

[KevShmev]

I can’t understand not liking On The Silent Wings of Freedom. It’s got such a great groove and unlike many 70s Yes songs is just an effortless, pleasant listen. At the least it feels like it should be uncontroversial. On an album that is oddly controversial, that’s the one song that feels like it should have pleased most Yes fans.

I have zero regard for Tormato, with the only song from it I like being Onward, and that's only because of the Keys to Ascension version. 

I like Talk and 90125 but I do understand why the song would rank lower than many of the less stellar of their 70's output. Someone at this forum said something like "I like metal and DT do metal well, but I don't go to DT to listen to metal.." I think it applies here too.  A lot of people recognize 80's and 90's Yes as great pop-rock songs, only this is not what they want from Yes. I tend to consider this era more as Trevor Rabin with guest musicians who just happen to be Yes members. Are the songs good? Sure. Do they have anything in common with what carved the Yes brand their place in music history? Very little. 70's Yes was what was unique, what made the lasting legacy, the reason why people keep talking about Yes even 50 years later. So it is only natural that even slightly inferior stuff from that era gets ranked pretty high.

Maybe it's me being a bit older now, but I find the whole "I don't listen to this artist for such and such" to be fairly limiting.  I listen to every single band/artist in my collection for one thing: good music.  If one can make a good album or even just a good song in a style unlike what they are generally known for, instead of taking the "well, that's not what I listen to them for" stance, I will enjoy it if it's good, because that is ultimately all that matters.  To look at our host band, Space Dye Vest is a good example. I am sure most would say it's not indicative of the Dream Theater sound, but who cares?  A good song is a good song, and they come in many shapes and sizes.  All that said, I get the affection for the 70s Yes in general among fans, so none of this surprises me.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Another great batch. Going for the One (album) only continues to grow on me more as I get older, and the first song on Tales is just... perfection. Now that all of Tales is out it's funny to see that it's currently sitting at the top (mostly) of my so-far-revealed-list haha

2. Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil)
5. The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)
7. The Remembering (High the Memory)
9. I've Seen All Good People
10. Sound Chaser
13. Perpetual Change
17. Long Distance Runaround
18. The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)
21. Parallels
22. Wonderous Stories
23. Turn Of The Century
24. Going for the One
26. Tempus Fugit
27. To Be Over
28. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
30. Onward
33. Lift Me Up
34. Leave It
35. Mood For a Day
36. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
43. Into The Lens
45. On The Silent Wings of Freedom

Not ranked: Future Times / Rejoice
Not ranked: Cinema
Not ranked: City of Love
Not ranked: Does It Really Happen
Not ranked: Final Eyes
Not ranked: Love Will Find A Way
Not ranked: It Can Happen
Not ranked: Release, Release
Not ranked: Fly From Here
Not ranked: The Calling
Not ranked: Hearts
Not ranked: Mind Drive
Not ranked: Hold On
Not ranked: Endless Dream
Not ranked: Changes

[Stadler]

I didn't participate, but have been reading this with a bit of curiosity.  With all respect to those who like them, it makes me a little sad to see what I consider bottom feeders from the 70s (On the Silent Wings of Freedom, Going for the One - I could go 100 songs deep with a Yes list and not list either of those) finishing higher than fantastic 80s and 90s songs like Hearts, It Can Happen, The Calling and Leave It, but oh well.  I do like seeing The Revealing Science of God finish so high. While the rest of Tales is still somewhat of a mixed bag for me (some amazing moments amongst the mess), that song has aged for me as being one of their very best.  Good to see Turn of the Century get a high finish as well. That has always stood out to me as being the best song by a wide distance from GftO.

Not to argue with you; for me, it's not mutually exclusive.  I LOVE the Rabin years, and I've often said that it's far more consistently good than the Howe era; there is no "Open Your Eyes" in the Rabin-era catalogue.  I LOVE 90210.  I do.  But those particular songs from the late 70s really resonate with me; it's not that they are "better" or "more prog"; I don't give a rat's ass about any of that stuff. I'm like you in that if it moves me, I like it.  No labels, no rules.  And I'm unapologetic.  EVERY FUCKING NOTE of GFTO does something positive to me.  It's one of the very few records in my collection I can listen to regardless of my mood. 

You know those Chuck Norris jokes that turn things around?  "When Chuck Norris was born, he drove his Mother home from the hospital."?  That's me with GFTO.  My mood doesn't tell me to listen to it, listening to it sets my mood.  I know, I know, but it's true.

[The Letter M]

Not to argue with you; for me, it's not mutually exclusive.  I LOVE the Rabin years, and I've often said that it's far more consistently good than the Howe era; there is no "Open Your Eyes" in the Rabin-era catalogue.  I LOVE 90210.  I do.  But those particular songs from the late 70s really resonate with me; it's not that they are "better" or "more prog"; I don't give a rat's ass about any of that stuff. I'm like you in that if it moves me, I like it.  No labels, no rules.  And I'm unapologetic.  EVERY FUCKING NOTE of GFTO does something positive to me.  It's one of the very few records in my collection I can listen to regardless of my mood. 

Which season was your favorite? I never got into the show, but I'm not sure what that has to do with Yes. 

-Marc.

[Stadler]

Which season was your favorite? I never got into the show, but I'm not sure what that has to do with Yes. 

-Marc.

The first season. 

Nah, that's an inside joke with a friend of mine from high school; we've lost touch over the years, but we were both into Yes, but he couldn't really make the jump to the Rabin years, so for him, 90125 will always be "90210" and Big Generator will always be "Big Penetrator".   It's a hard habit to break. 

[pg1067]

I didn't participate, but have been reading this with a bit of curiosity.  With all respect to those who like them, it makes me a little sad to see what I consider bottom feeders from the 70s (On the Silent Wings of Freedom, Going for the One - I could go 100 songs deep with a Yes list and not list either of those) finishing higher than fantastic 80s and 90s songs like Hearts, It Can Happen, The Calling and Leave It, but oh well.  I do like seeing The Revealing Science of God finish so high. While the rest of Tales is still somewhat of a mixed bag for me (some amazing moments amongst the mess), that song has aged for me as being one of their very best.  Good to see Turn of the Century get a high finish as well. That has always stood out to me as being the best song by a wide distance from GftO.

I mean...ok, but....  My take on GFTO (the song) was pretty clear, and I'm a little surprised it made the top 15, but it's always been a super popular song from one of the band's most popular albums.  Leave It?  It's a pretty ...well...take it or leave it song.  And, while I know that it's a hidden gem for some Yes fans, Talk was an album that came out with almost no fanfare, three years after its predecessor album, on the heels of two progressively disappointing albums.  It's also an album that the band has completely disregarded for 30 years.  It's one thing not to like GFTO, but calling it a "bottom feeder"?

Anyhoo...

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

The first season. 

Nah, that's an inside joke with a friend of mine from high school; we've lost touch over the years, but we were both into Yes, but he couldn't really make the jump to the Rabin years, so for him, 90125 will always be "90210" and Big Generator will always be "Big Penetrator".   It's a hard habit to break. 

I'm with you on those. That's how I've always referred to those albums.

[pg1067]

Breaching the top 10 today with three rankers’ #1 songs.




11 – Starship Trooper (The Yes Album – 3)

Appeared on 14 of 17 entries
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 1 (DragonAttack)

From my perspective, this was the first "great" Yes song.  My first exposure to Yes was the videos from 90125 that got played on MTV.  In 1985, I bought the 9012Live video (still have the VHS and recently bought the DVD).  The only “classic” Yes songs on the video were I’ve Seen All Good People and Starship Trooper, which I just loved.  It’s a great live version.  The “Life Seeker” section is so uplifting.  “Disillusion” isn’t at all disillusioning, and “Wurm” is a fun improvisational section (although it can get a bit tedious when they really draw it out).  I ranked it at #13 and my #2 TYA song.  What’s #1?  Glad you asked….


10 – Yours Is No Disgrace (The Yes Album – 4)

Appeared on 15 of 17 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 1 (hefdaddy42)

To this day, I will swear that the theme starting at the 40 second mark of this song was used in some TV show or commercial back in the ‘70s.  When I first heard the song (Yessongs version) in the second half of the ‘80s, that theme sounded SO familiar.  This is an amazing song.  It goes through so many different sections, and Chris Squire and Steve Howe are both at the top of their games here.  Learning this song on bass was so much fun, and it really taught me the value of not just playing what the guitar was playing an octave lower.  This was my #7 song.


9 – Machine Messiah (Drama – 4)

Appeared on 16 of 17 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73)

With apologies to White Car fans, this will be the last song from Drama in the countdown.  This is another one of Yes’s forays into being heavy, and it really worked well.  My favorite part is the middle section where they play arpeggios in 9/4, but the whole thing is an amazing 10 minute ride.  I ranked it at #15.

[The Letter M]

50. Future Times/Rejoice - 28th
49. Cinema - 38th
48. City of Love - NR
47. Mood for a Day - NR
46. Lift Me Up - NR
45. Homeworld (The Ladder) - NR
44. I Am Waiting - 50th
43. Leave It - NR
42. The Ancient (Giants under the Sun) - 32nd
41. Does It Really Happen? - 30th
40. Final Eyes - NR
39. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) - 47th
38. Love Will Find a Way - NR
36T. It Can Happen - 49th
36T. Release, Release - NR
35. Fly from Here - 15th
34. The Calling - NR
33. Hearts - 31st
32. Hold On - NR
31. Mind Drive - 17th
30. On the Silent Wings of Freedom - NR
29. Into the Lens - 21st
28. Onward - 35th
27. Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil) - 2nd
26. Endless Dream - 10th
25. The Remembering (High the Memory) - 22nd
24. Changes - 37th
23. Perpetual Change - 19th
22. Owner Of A Lonely Heart - 36th
21. Parallels - 27th
20. Wonderous Stories - 39th
19. Long Distance Runaround - 20th
18. To Be Over - 26th
17. Tempus Fugit - 25th
15T. Sound Chaser - 8th
15T. I've Seen All Good People - 16th
14. Going For The One - 29th
13. Turn Of The Century - 45th
12. The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn) - 13th

11. Starship Trooper - 7th -
10. Yours Is No Disgrace - 14th - Two more back-to-back from the same album like last reveal. Both killer songs and probably my favorites from TYA.
09. Machine Messiah - 6th - SO happy to see it make the Top 10, especially since I had it 6th! And since this is the last song from Drama to make it, I might as well say that I had the WHOLE album in my Top 50.

-Marc.

[pg1067]

09. Machine Messiah - 6th - SO happy to see it make the Top 10, especially since I had it 6th! And since this is the last song from Drama to make it, I might as well say that I had the WHOLE album in my Top 50.

You were one of three who did.

[The Letter M]

You were one of three who did.

Oh hey, Drama fans rise up! It's easily one of my favorite complete albums by the band, and it's short enough that I can put it on pretty much anytime and enjoy it every single time.

-Marc.

[hefdaddy42]

Breaching the top 10 today with three rankers’ #1 songs.




11 – Starship Trooper (The Yes Album – 3)

Appeared on 14 of 17 entries
Top 10 finishes: 7
Highest Ranking: 1 (DragonAttack)

From my perspective, this was the first "great" Yes song.  My first exposure to Yes was the videos from 90125 that got played on MTV.  In 1985, I bought the 9012Live video (still have the VHS and recently bought the DVD).  The only “classic” Yes songs on the video were I’ve Seen All Good People and Starship Trooper, which I just loved.  It’s a great live version.  The “Life Seeker” section is so uplifting.  “Disillusion” isn’t at all disillusioning, and “Wurm” is a fun improvisational section (although it can get a bit tedious when they really draw it out).  I ranked it at #13 and my #2 TYA song.  What’s #1?  Glad you asked….


10 – Yours Is No Disgrace (The Yes Album – 4)

Appeared on 15 of 17 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 1 (hefdaddy42)

To this day, I will swear that the theme starting at the 40 second mark of this song was used in some TV show or commercial back in the ‘70s.  When I first heard the song (Yessongs version) in the second half of the ‘80s, that theme sounded SO familiar.  This is an amazing song.  It goes through so many different sections, and Chris Squire and Steve Howe are both at the top of their games here.  Learning this song on bass was so much fun, and it really taught me the value of not just playing what the guitar was playing an octave lower.  This was my #7 song.


9 – Machine Messiah (Drama – 4)

Appeared on 16 of 17 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73)

With apologies to White Car fans, this will be the last song from Drama in the countdown.  This is another one of Yes’s forays into being heavy, and it really worked well.  My favorite part is the middle section where they play arpeggios in 9/4, but the whole thing is an amazing 10 minute ride.  I ranked it at #15.

Hell yeah.  All killer no filler today, for sure.

I had YIND at # 1, MM at # 10, and ST at # 12. 

[Orbert]

The two most common ways to make a long song are the multi-part suite and the song that goes through changes but keeps returning to a main theme.  Yes was great at both of these approaches and here we have examples of each.

Starship Trooper of course is the suite, with three sections that don't have a lot to do with each other but go together well.  But in a twist that few could pull off, there's a D.S. from the Disillusion (middle) section back to the Life Seeker (opening) section.  You usually don't do that, but it works here because... well, it just works because Yes was great at this kind of thing.  Würm is fun, but some of the live versions do tend to go on a bit.  It was nice of them to give Wakeman a solo section, which evolved into the duel with Howe, so that was cool.

Yours is No Disgrace and Machine Messiah are longer songs that are just longer songs.  Yes were never content to just use basic song structures (two verses, a break, and either another verse or just a chorus).  Songs were a journey, a journey has different phases, it takes time.  Take a few different turns, come back for another verse or another chorus, then go off in another direction.  Yes were known (and sometimes derided) for all their side-long epics, but they had a bunch of great songs in the eight-to-10-minute range as well, and these are two of them.

[Zydar]

Another three great songs, with perhaps Machine Messiah as my favourite of them.

[Orbert]

When Drama came out, it was almost funny when people put it on and got hit in the face with Machine Messiah.  There was a lot of hoopla about The Buggles joining Yes, taking the places of Anderson and Wakeman, and a lot of speculation that Yes was going to be watered down with Pop, or go too New-Wave, or just plain suck for any number of reasons.  Then we got Machine Messiah, and Yes could definitely still bring the heavy.  Then White Car, which is one of my favorite Yes tracks of all.  Yeah, it's short, but it's fucking brilliant.  Then Does It Really Happen?  And it's already time to turn the record over!  Then Side Two was just as great.  People who won't accept Drama because of the personnel are missing out.  It's the music that counts, not who's making it.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Starship Trooper is amazing. Glad it got some love here. The other two I had ranked a bit lower, but I can see why they're both ending up a bit higher in the larger context

2. Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil)
5. The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)
7. The Remembering (High the Memory)
8. Starship Trooper
9. I've Seen All Good People
10. Sound Chaser
13. Perpetual Change
16. Yours Is No Disgrace
17. Long Distance Runaround
18. The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)
19. Machine Messiah
21. Parallels
22. Wonderous Stories
23. Turn Of The Century
24. Going for the One
26. Tempus Fugit
27. To Be Over
28. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
30. Onward
33. Lift Me Up
34. Leave It
35. Mood For a Day
36. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
43. Into The Lens
45. On The Silent Wings of Freedom

Not ranked: Future Times / Rejoice
Not ranked: Cinema
Not ranked: City of Love
Not ranked: Does It Really Happen
Not ranked: Final Eyes
Not ranked: Love Will Find A Way
Not ranked: It Can Happen
Not ranked: Release, Release
Not ranked: Fly From Here
Not ranked: The Calling
Not ranked: Hearts
Not ranked: Mind Drive
Not ranked: Hold On
Not ranked: Endless Dream
Not ranked: Changes

[HOF]

Starship Troopers - 25. Love the opening section of this song, and the ending is pretty cool. It just sags a bit in the middle so it’s not quite in the upper tier of Yes songs for me. The bass at the beginning is really cool and unique and somehow seems ahead of its time. Not sure how, but feels like something you didn’t hear in that era.

Yours is No Disgrace - 22. The best thing on The Yes Album for me. A kind of foundational prog track that feels like it set a lot of the touchstones in place for bands who would follow. Particularly the bass playing here feels like it was often copied by guys like Trewavas and Meros 20+ years later. This one also loses some steam as it goes on and doesn’t finish as strong as it starts. I don’t think Yes had quite figured their songwriting and arrangement out by this album (though not sure they ever really did! Well, 90125 is pretty flawlessly written/arranged).

Machine Messiah - 36. This is the one I’m most familiar with on Drama, and I do love how unexpectedly heavy it is. An interesting new direction for the band even if that isn’t what I’d want to hear from them too frequently.

[HOF]

BTW, had a long drive this morning and listened to Talk for the first time (I feel like the last time I checked it wasn’t on Amazon Music). It’s quite good I think. The first two songs are great, and the closing epic is cool if a bit weird in places. A couple other tracks in the middle I dig. Sorry, I could give you names if I looked them up.

So the songs I liked were The Calling, I Am Waiting, Walls, Where Will You Be, and Endless Dream.

A bit of a Van Halen feel in some places, definitely a 90’s spin on 80s Yes, but the band sounded good and energized. Not sure why this one has fallen by the wayside.

[romdrums]

11. Starship Trooper (28). Great song, but also kinda played out, in my opinion. It does rock in a live setting, though!

10. Yours Is No Disgrace (11). One spot off the consensus again! I learned how to follow bass lines and sing harmonies thanks to this song! Easily my favorite from The Yes Album.

9. Machine Messiah (13). Exhibit A of the force of the Squire and White rhythm section. Also, probably Exhibit A of Chris Squire's musical capabilities. His bass line anchors the song, and his co-lead vocals are on point throughout. And that opening riff is monstrous! Everyone shines on this song, and what a way to open the first album without Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman!

[Mladen]

Going for the one was my #25. It's a powerful hard rock song with proggy twists and a unique lead playing on a pedal steel. I haven't heard too many songs that are similar in that regard.

Turn of the century was my #4. It actually took me a couple years to fully appreciate this song. The studio version didn't click with me at all, but once I heard the live version on Tsongas, I was hooked. It's one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in my life and Steve Howe is spectacular on it.

The Revealing science of God was my #3 and my favorite of their BIG epics overall. Every section of it is marvelous. It's complex, it's melodic, it's catchy, it's mysterious, it's powerful. It's everything.

Starship trooper was my #10. I don't know which of the three sections is more iconic. Brilliant stuff all the way through.

Yours is no disgrace was my #20. When I think of it, I sometimes feel like it pales in comparison to Starship trooper and I've seen all good people, but then I play it and remember it's excellent. It's their earliest classic in my opinion.

And then Machine messiah, my #6. Arguably their heaviest tune, and yet both Horn and Downes manage to make it tuneful and gorgeous at the same time.

[pg1067]

When Drama came out, it was almost funny when people put it on and got hit in the face with Machine Messiah.  There was a lot of hoopla about The Buggles joining Yes, taking the places of Anderson and Wakeman, and a lot of speculation that Yes was going to be watered down with Pop, or go too New-Wave, or just plain suck for any number of reasons.  Then we got Machine Messiah, and Yes could definitely still bring the heavy.  Then White Car, which is one of my favorite Yes tracks of all.  Yeah, it's short, but it's fucking brilliant.  Then Does It Really Happen?  And it's already time to turn the record over!  Then Side Two was just as great.  People who won't accept Drama because of the personnel are missing out.  It's the music that counts, not who's making it.

It's interesting because, while Horn doesn't have Anderson's upper range or ethereal quality, I never thought it vocals on this album were all that different from what it would have been if Anderson had still been in the band.  I also think Drama was a pretty natural progression from Tormato.

Also, I wonder (because I knew nothing of popular music at the time)...were the Buggles particularly well-known at the time?  I know NOTHING about them other than "Video Killed the Radio Star."  That song was released about a year before Drama, but Drama came out a year before MTV premiered.  Was "Video" a major hit before MTV?

[Stadler]

122 - Onward
119 - Sound Chaser
96 - Homeworld (The Ladder)
88 - Mood For A Day
86 - Leave It
81 - Mind Drive
72 - City Of Love
68 - The Remembering (High The Memory)
65 - The Fish
63 - The Ancients (Giants Under The Sun)
57 - I Am Waiting
56 - To Be Over
51 - Ritual



50 - Fly From Here
49 - Long Distance Runaround
48 - Parallels
47 - Changes
46 - Lock
45 - White Car No chance in hell
44 - Slim chance
43 - Does It Really Happen?
42 - No chance in hell
41 - No chance in hell (though, oddly, may be referenced by technicality)
40 - No chance in hell
39 - Hold On
38 - No chance in hell
37 - I've Seen All Good People
36 - Cinema
35 - No chance in hell
34 - Slim chance
33 - Perpetual Change
32 - Slim chance
31 - Endless Dream
30 - Into The Lens
29 - No chance in hell
28 - It Can Happen
27 - Future Times/Rejoice
26 - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
25 - Release, Release
24 - No chance in hell
23 - No chance in hell
22 - Lock
21 - The Calling
20 - Hearts
19 - No chance in hell
18 - On The Silent Wings Of Freedom
17 - The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)
16 - Machine Messiah Lock
15 - Love Will Find A Way
14 - Yours Is No Disgrace Lock
13 - Final Eyes
12 - Lift Me Up
11 - Slim chance at this point
10 - Wonderous Stories
9 - Tempus Fugit
8 - Lock
7 - Lock
6 - Starship Trooper Lock
5 - Lock
4 - Going For The One
3 - Lock
2 - Lock
1 - Turn Of The Century

I was another that had the entire Drama album in my Top 50, including "White Car".   

I love all these songs.  Starship Trooper is the clear favorite, I love that vocal line in the "Life Seeker" part and the solos - especially live - are excellent.  That's Howe's signature solo, IMO.

[HOF]

It's interesting because, while Horn doesn't have Anderson's upper range or ethereal quality, I never thought it vocals on this album were all that different from what it would have been if Anderson had still been in the band.  I also think Drama was a pretty natural progression from Tormato.

Also, I wonder (because I knew nothing of popular music at the time)...were the Buggles particularly well-known at the time?  I know NOTHING about them other than "Video Killed the Radio Star."  That song was released about a year before Drama, but Drama came out a year before MTV premiered.  Was "Video" a major hit before MTV?

It looks like they released Video Killed the Radio Star in late 1979, a few months before they started working with Yes (and a few months before their debut album had even come out). It was a hit in the UK at least by the time they started working with Yes, but I don't know if it was known worldwide until MTV launched in 1981.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buggles

[devieira73]

I think we all can agree that Machine Messiah is totally amazing and the heaviest Yes song, right? The best song on my fave Yes album. So, I guess it's my last highest rank on this countdown and it has ended perfectly!

[pg1067]

I think we all can agree that Machine Messiah is totally amazing and the heaviest Yes song, right? The best song on my fave Yes album. So, I guess it's my last highest rank on this countdown and it has ended perfectly!

I'm guessing the one person who didn't rank MM would not agree (unless "amazing" extends beyond the top 50).

By the way, we won't get to any 17/17 songs until the final two are revealed on Friday.

[DTwwbwMP]

50. Future Times / Rejoice (#17)
49. Cinema (N/R)
48. City of Love (#52)
47. Mood For a Day (N/R)
46. Lift Me Up (#14)
45. Homeworld (N/R)
44. I Am Waiting (#51)
43. Leave It (#41)
42. The Ancient (N/R)
41. Does It Really Happen (#55)
40. Final Eyes (#40)
39. The Fish (#54)
38. Love Will Find A Way (#53)
36. It Can Happen (#34)
36. Release, Release (#15)
35. Fly From Here (N/R)
34. The Calling (#20)
33. Hearts (N/R)
32. Hold On (#16)
31. Mind Drive (#21)
30. On The Silent Wings of Freedom (N/R)
29. Into The Lens (N/R)
28. Onward (#13)
27. Ritual (N/R)
26. Endless Dream (#38)
25. The Remembering (N/R)
24. Changes (#28)
23. Perpetual Change (BIG F'up here. Somehow I left off list   Would've been #20 for me)
22. Owner of a Lonely Heart (N/R HATE THIS SONG!)
21. Parallels (#6)
20. Wonderous Stories (#1 )
19. Long Distance Runaround (#8)
18. To Be Over (#35)
17. Tempus Fugit (N/R)
16. Sound Chaser (N/R)
15. I've Seen All Good People (#10)
14. Going for the One (#9)
13. Turn of the Century (#23)
12. The Revealing Science of God (N/R)
11. Starship Trooper (#11)
10. Yours Is No Disgrace (#5)
  9. Machine Messiah (#32)